Life Without Clayton Kershaw
Really, it s not gloom and doom! Last year, when Clayton had the herniated disk, everyone wondered what the team would do. It turns out that Kershaw s injury galvanized them and others stepped up to fill the void. Not only did they not miss a beat, but they thrived. I, for one, do not expect the same thing to happen this year, although I believe there is no reason to panic .
Really, it’s not gloom and doom!
Last year, when Clayton had the herniated disk, everyone wondered what the team would do. It turns out that Kershaw’s injury galvanized them and others stepped up to fill the void. Not only did they not miss a beat, but they thrived. I, for one, do not expect the same thing to happen this year, although I believe there is no reason to panic. This Dodger team has depth which give them options. Let’s look ands see who might step up into the rotation.
Brock Stewart – Brock Stewart is certainly being groomed as a starter, but in order to succeed as one on this level, he needs a better curveball. He has had great success out of the bullpen and I think the Dodgers will leave him there for a couple of reasons: (1) Boost his confidence ; and (2) he is a real asset to the team in the pen – they need him and a few others to win it all.
Wilmer Font – As AC mentioned, Font has re-established himself as a prospect with his pitching at OKC. He has a fastball that goes up to the mid-90’s, has excellent control and Knows how to pitch. In 101.1 innings at OKC he has given up 82 hits while striking out 137 and walking only 27. His ERA is 3.82 and his WHIP is 1.13. That is excellent for the PCL. He certainly could start, but I’d like to see him in the pen, but that’s just me. Font has only allowed 9 HR in the PCL!
Justin Masterson – As a former Top Prospect and MLB Pitcher, he has to get some consideration. His ERA is 3.88 and his WHIP is 1.28. He has pitched 109 innings, allowing 90 hits with 109 K’s and 50 BB. The biggest difference between him and Font is that he has allowed just 6 HR. So, there is that. I have got to believe that Masterson could start for some MLB teams. Just not the Dodgers.
Trevor Oaks – He has been injured and has regressed somewhat because of it. I think he needs to pitch some more at the AAA level, but I see him being converted to a reliever soon.
Walker Buehler – Buehler has “ACE” written all over him, but he will not start for the Dodgers this year. I doubt we see him until September unless he suddenly is “Lights out” at AAA and there are more injuries. Next year, he’s in the rotation.
Ross Stripling – I think Ross is a huge asset to the bullpen, even though he has had a few hiccups. His ERA of 3.55 is not what I would like it to be, but a few bad pitches have cost him this year. The thing is: Ross sees himself as a starter, not a reliever, so much so that I think it messes with his head. If I were the Dodgers, I would install Ross into the rotation – it’s likely he can go 4 or 5 innings in his first start or at least get there by his second. Thirteen times this year, he has pitched two or more innings. Ross is my pick to take Clayton’s spot – primarily because he wants it so bad!
So, Stripling is my choice with Font a close second to go into the rotation. Here’s what it looks like:
- Wood
- Hill
- Maeda
- Ryu
- Stripling
That will strike fear into hitters, won’t it? Next man up – that’s all you can say! I do not really believe the Dodgers are in on Yu Darvish, no matter what the media says… unless Texas will give him away. I think FAZ is just keeping everyone honest and the price up. Texas is going to want 3 top prospects for him and I say no… unless Clayton is going to be out an extended period. It seems like a 10-day DL trip to me and may be a blessing in disguise. Roberts said there was no shooting pain down his leg, so that bodes well.
Chris Taylor gets all the ink with his .312 BA and .382 OB%, but Logan Forsythe is right behind him with a .368 OB%. No one works the pitchers better than Logan and he is wizard at 2B as we saw yesterday.
Austin Barnes is bad man! This team is deep. Watch and see how they overcome the loss of CK.
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Discussion (110)
Disagree, not disagreeable
I probably would of gone with Font. Stripling makes sense to me. He certainly has more experience than Font. If you bring up Font to replace Stripling in the pen, then I am wih you. If Stripling sees himself as a starter, that is even another reason to start him. Let him prove himself. That is the way Doc manages anyway. He gives everyone a chance to prove their worth. I love the way Doc manages baseball players. Just like Hatcher and Romo. Neither one of two can complain. They were given every chance to succeed. He stayed with them longer than I would.
I hope you’re right about Kershaw and a short DL stint, but I’m less optimistic. If he has a recurrence of the herniated disc I would think he is a surgical candidate this time. I hope I’m wrong. If he indeed is destined for a long DL stint the FO almost has to certainly go get Gray, Verlander or Darvish.
A 100 win season and the fifth straight NL West Division crowns= all in for the Fall Classic. I would hate to lose White, Alvarez, Calhoun or even Verdugo, but a 28 year drought from the WS with this team and now without the pitching staff ace means you have to make a move.
Go for it FAZ!
I’m on the Yu train.
In my opinion the Dodgers have four guys that I consider junk yard dogs. I consider that a positive statement. They have not had it easy. They have worked their butts off to be good. They come every day to the park just to beat the other team. They are great teammates. They are JT, Taylor, Forsythe. And Barnes.
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Seager and Bellinger are in a different category. They have the ability to be good from day one and are good. They are also great teammates.
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Then you have Joc and Puig. Loaded with talent and have to be prodded every day to bring the best out in them. They look great one day and you certainly want to keep them. Next day they look bad and you want to trade them. These two may never reach their potential. That is why I get frustrated with these two. Good enough to keep, but so much more they could do.
Damn, I hate to be in position of ‘need’… We Blue fans know it and MLB too!!!
I say go with who brought you to dance… This team is working on all cylinders and our depth in the minors is outstanding…
I’m going to cease whining about Kersh and let the ‘Junk Yard Dogs’ take us to the promised land…
I may not agree that the Dodgers do not want (or need) another SP, however I have no idea if they will trade for one, or if they do, at what level. But I do strongly believe that FAZ will not panic and will not overpay. If we have learned anything from the Cole Hamels non-trade in 2015, or the non-panic in June 2016 because of Kershaw’s herniated disc, the Dodgers do believe in what they are putting together. Remember, when Kershaw went down last year, the Dodgers did not have anyone anywhere close to stepping into the Ace slot, and yet they went out and acquired Bud Norris for Caleb Dirks and Phil Pfeifer. That does not speak panic to me. Dirks and Pfeifer are actually serviceable relievers now in the Braves minor league system. Most average fans do not know either pitcher, and those that do, do not beleive they will be high leverage relievers. Combined they have converted 5 of 12 save opportunities (Dirks 2 of 6 at AAA, and Pfeifer 3 of 6 at AA). The Dodgers have plenty of these type of relievers throughout their organization.
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This year, while nobody can replace #22, Alex Wood and Rich Hill can both step into the #1 slot, and while the loss of Kershaw will hurt, they are in far better shape in 2017 than in 2016. Even with a longer than anticipated loss of Kershaw, the Dodgers are not in any danger of letting a 10.5 game lead slip away. If FAZ does go after a SP, it will be because that is what they were planning before considering Kershaw’s injury. The prospect cost will not go up because of the injury.
Gray – Darvish or hold for the future. On one hand we have the best chance since 1988 of going to the WS. On the other hand our payroll is bloated and needs to be reduced not to mention no one wants to give up the top young talent in the minors. Why does most things always have a political feel to it? They must make the least worst decision. My job gets stressful at times but I would not want to make this decision. As a fan, I just want to win this year. 2017 World Champion Dodgers has a special ring to it………………………………
We have a blueprint of how FAZ and Doc will respond to CK going down with an injury from last year. I expect to see a number of bullpen games and also MLB debuts from different Dodger pitching prospects. There will be the usual suspects that we follow on this blog (Brock Stewart, Trevor Oaks, Walker Buehler) + Justin Masterson + one or maybe even two guys that we were not expecting.
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Meanwhile, CK gets extra rest so he can maximize (hopefully) his performance in October. I just hope it doesn’t cost him consideration for the Cy Young again like it did last year.
Mark at this time last year, said that the other players may step up when Kershaw went out, and that is exactly what happened.
If this is the first time Kershaw has felt anything he might be back sooner, then we think.
He was only out as long as he was last year, because he tried to rush back to soon, and he had a set back, and I think Kershaw has learned from that, so it might not be as bad, as it seems with Kershaw.
But this will affect the opt out that Kershaw has, and that is why I don’t think Kershaw will do anything in the off season, to try to repair what is bothering him.
Caca de Vaca MJ… So Kersh is all about the option and $$$??? Please provide a source if possible…
Of course teams don’t!!!
MJ’s last paragraph puzzles me… Not do anything and what then???
I might add Kersh should be added to the Junk Yard Dog list… IMO that Kersh remains a Dodger beyond his current contract…
A guy can hope!??!
I am not panicking – but we have to take off the rose colored glasses. Yeah, the Dodgers did great last year without Kershaw, but really, if we expect that to happen again, we have to be a little nuts. If the Dodgers play better without him, then why have him anyway? In reality, the Dodgers aren’t really title contenders without him. They can and probably win the division without him at this point, but they need him in October.
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Face it – 15 – 2, 2.04, 144 IP (no one else has more than 91), 168K, .88 WHIP – no one will replace this level of pitching. So – do the Dodgers rely on Justin Masterson? His career is 64 – 74, 4.31 with a 1.39 WHIP. His last major league season was with Boston – 4 – 2, 5.61 with a 1.61 WHIP. The year before he was 7 – 9, 5.88 with a 1.68 WHIP with Cleveland and St. Louis. No thank you.
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Ross Stripling has thrown 3 innings 3 times in 2017. He has not been stretched out. He threw 53 pitches once on June 15. There is no reason to think that he is ready to throw 7 innings (or even 5 innings – per AC) right now. The same with Ross Stewart. Since he came up, he has thrown 3 innings once and his max pitch count in the majors has been 40. He only threw 8 minor league innings before being called up so it is safe to say that he has not been stretched out either.
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Font is 7 – 5, 3.82 with 101 IP and 138K – give him a try. AC said that Oaks hasn’t pitched as well since recovering from injury – OK – not him then. Buehler isn’t ready – 1 AAA start, 4 runs in 2 innings.
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What would it cost in terms of prospects for Yu Darvish or Sonny Gray?
Kershaw out 4 to 6 weeks! https://twitter.com/Ken_Rosenthal/status/889534827036364800
Let’s remember that Kershaw only pitches in less than 20% of games. If he is out for the next 60 games he would miss 12 starts. So, instead of the Dodgers being 12 – 0 in those 12 games, they will be 6 – 0. Stewart is at least that good if he is the one that replaces Kershaw.
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Let’s hope he makes it back before the playoffs .
OK, I have talked it over and I am willing to trade Alvarez, Calhoun, Oaks and Sborz for…..
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DRUMROLL
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Sonny Gray!
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Not Darvish!
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Gray had a tough time until June, when he was good and in July, he is great!
Kershaw throw once every 5th day. He’s going to miss 5-9 starts. If the Dodgers play .500 ball they still win 99 or 100 games. The real question is the diagnosis on the conservative side or are they being less than truthful about the severity of his injury. From what I saw I tend to think they’re being cautious, but I’m not a doctor. With or without Kershaw, I am in the camp that the Dodgers need a RH starter that they can count on not named McCarthy or Maeda. I watched a lot of Darvish’s last outing. He was working between 95-98 all night long and was impressive. FAZ needs to go get him. I don’t like dealing Alvarez, but i could live with it in this type of deal a lot more than as a second piece for a guy like Forsythe or Dozier. The Dodgers would still have Buehler, White, and Stewart. Alvarez, Rios, and Farmer for Darvish.
Remember when people wanted Wilson as the back up catcher?
I got some info from my sources and I think this might explain, why Kershaw was having tightness, in his back yesterday.
Kershaw was standing and working for a charity, on Saturday afternoon.
And Kershaw was holding his daughter in his right arm, and he was picking up back packs with his left hand, and he was giving these back packs to children, on Saturday, the day before his start.
My man Watford from across the pond and MJ … Good news, seems like a possibility…
P.S. Watford – McGregor is in deep caca come next month…
I’m turning bilingual I thinks…
I love Dave Roberts as a manager. But, I wish he would just leave the medical diagnosis to the medical people. I just ge t worn out with these comments minimizing the injury then they are out for 6 months. We all knew Kershaw would go on the dl when he left the game. His comments about all the people we have on the dl makes him look uniformed and babbling. If we could get darvish cheap They would do it so you know it is not going to happen. Gray is hurt all the time we have enough of those. How about lance lynn? He is an innings eater and a solid pitcher who would be a rental. He is coming off tommy john so yeah he is right up our alley.
McCarthy going to the DL would be retroactive and with an off day before and after the Giants series they only need 4 starters until Brandon comes back. Unless someone else goes down with another injury they still have 5 guys. It’s nice to have the depth and they may be needed. It’s nice to have trade capital and they may spend some. As has been pointed out by others the Nats and Astros have had even more issues with their starters this year. I think the team would be fine without a major move but if they make the playoffs and get bounced before the WS the calls for heads to roll will be loud so the pressure is real to do something now to improve the current team. The injuries to Strasberg and Kershaw on the same day just drove the price up for a good starter. I trust Faz to make the right decision way more than anyone on this or any other board. I would go for Darvish, with the intent to lock him up long term with a back loaded contract getting under the luxury tax next year; hold on to Maeda and then lock down Otani this off season, but that’s just me. I would insist they take McCarthy or Ryu back in the deal with Alvaraz and a lessor prospect. Of course the brain trust could care less what I think. I do think Ryu vs Colon is a comical match up about as lopsided as Mayweather vs McGregor.
How about Morrow as a replacement? Has been a starter most of career. Looked great yesterday. I would still take Stripling because of his youth and his potential, but Morrow is a better pick than Masterson.
What we still need is a LHRP. Keyshawn will be back for the play offs. We have the depth to still get to the play offs. We do not need a starting pitcher. Stripling will do just fine.
I agree with you Idahoal, still need a LHRP, although Avilan is pretty good and Dayton has possibilities.
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Let’s look at the big picture folks, Dodgers have Kershaw, Kazmir, Hill, McCarthy, Ryu, Maeda all under contract for 2018. They also have Wood controlled through 2019 and several up and coming potential studs pounding on the door. If you think FAZ is going to trade for, soon to be 31 yr old Darvish, with the intent of resigning him for $200M+ you just haven’t been paying attention, in my opinion.
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These trade packages of Alvarez, Calhoun and Verdugo would be better spent on someone like Rivero than rental Darvish. Haven’t seen anyone mention the OUTSTANDING job the bullpen did yesterday, 8 innings of 2 hits and 1 run ball!!! Oh, I forgot, Jansen’s 3 runs in the ninth. Just the same, Great job Bullpen!! I would hate to give up six years of control on a potential stud, for 3-5 playoff starts from rental Darvish. No guarantees he doesn’t stink it up like Kenley yesterday. __IT Happens! Let’s beef up the bullpen, we have a pretty good 1-4 starting playoff rotation.
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Some here sound like Clayton is already six feet under, pushing daisies. May he rest in peace, but only for 4 -6 weeks. Enjoy the ride!!
Josh Ravin and Edwin Paredes have been spotted in the Dodgers clubhouse.